Weightless
by whoaaitsmichele
Summary: Peter's exhausted.


Title: Weightless

Summary: Peter's exhausted.

Warning: The characters may be OOC a little bit.

"Peter, why don't you finish up here and head home? You look like you're about to fall over."

Peter looked up at his boss with tired eyes and groaned. He rubbed his eyes and nodded. He saved the files on his computer, before turning it off and grabbing his jacket. He stood up, a little too fast and almost made a swan dive to the floor, but Hughes grabbed his arm pulling him gently towards the door.

"Caffrey!" He yelled, startling Peter and the man, who was currently looking up information on his computer at his own small desk.

Neal was about to send a questioning glance at the older man when he noticed Peter.

He turned off his computer, grabbed his jacket and headed up the stairs towards the two older men.

"Take Peter home, Caffrey and make sure he gets there safely." He sent a warning look at the young man and Neal could only nod before grabbing Peter's arm. Peter stumbled and they made it slowly down the steps. No one was in the office besides the three of them, so it was less awkward, especially for Peter who was fighting sleep.

Peter was falling asleep at his feet and Neal let the older man lean on him the entire way to the parking garage. Peter's legs gave away halfway to the car and Neal sighed, before lifting Peter under his back and knees.

His back ached in protest, but Peter just fell into Neal's chest, fast asleep. Neal somehow managed to walk to the car and open the door to the passenger seat. He sat Peter in the seat, buckling him in and brushed his fingers through Peter's hair. Peter mumbled and shifted, but made no move of waking up.

Neal closed the door, before walking around the other side of the car. He turned to look at Peter, who looked younger and more innocent in his sleep, which was a weird thought considering that Peter was 13 years older than him. He looked in the rearview mirror before pulling out of the spot and towards Peter's Brooklyn address.

0

"Peter, come on. You need to wake up." Neal said, unbuckling Peter's seatbelt. Peter just fell into Neal's chest and Neal groaned, knowing what he needed to do to get Peter inside the house.

Lifting Peter up underneath his arms, Peter's head fell into his shoulder and he carried the older man up the stairs, managing to unlock the door and get him inside quickly than he thought possible.

Elizabeth was sitting at the dining room table when she heard someone come in and she saw Neal carrying her husband, who didn't appear injured…but asleep.

"What happened?" She whispered, mindful of her husband's current state. Neal shrugged.

"It seems that he's not getting enough sleep. Hughes wanted me to bring him home. So here he is."

"Can you get him upstairs? The couch is very hard to sleep on." She asked, as Neal shifted Peter higher in his arms, which startled the agent awake.

"Wha'?"

He lifted his head sluggishly off Neal's shoulder, trying to gain his bearings.

"Peter, you need to sleep. Why have you been losing sleep?" Elizabeth asked concerned. Neal shifted Peter, so he could actually look at his wife and Peter groaned.

"We're so close to catching this guy and I just needed to spend more time looking up information."

"Peter, you need your sleep. That's more important than the case. This is your health we're talking about." Elizabeth stated, worry etching into her voice.

"'m sorry," He mumbled, his words slurring as his eyes fluttered closed. Neal looked down and saw Peter asleep before smirking.

"Oh yeah, he's definitely not tired," He replied sarcastically, which made El smile. "I'll get him upstairs. I'll change him since I don't think he'll want to sleep in an uncomfortable, unflattering suit all night." He smirked and Elizabeth giggled. She had to agree with him, the suit wasn't one of her favorites that he wore.

She went back to the dining room table to work on her event, before Neal slowly walked up the stairs with a sleeping Peter in his arms.

Man his arms were sore.

0

After trying to get a sleeping Peter into sweatpants and a t-shirt nearly 20 minutes later, Neal lifted the man up and got him closer to the top of the bed so his head hit the pillow.

As soon as it did, Peter snored.

But it sounded congested.

He slowly felt Peter's forehead and let out a sigh of relief as he realized Peter wasn't sick. His forehead felt fine.

Maybe he was hearing things.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

0

When Neal woke up in the guest room the following morning, he found a post-it note sticking to his forehead. He grinned, knowing Elizabeth left a note for him.

He lifted it off, scanning it with bleary eyes before getting up, even though his body groaned in protest.

_Peter is still asleep. If he wakes up, and tries to do any work, there's a sleeping pill in the bathroom. Mash it up and put it a glass of water. Trust me, he'll be too tired to notice. It's for his own good._

_- Elizabeth_

Neal smirked. He was definitely not going to disobey her order.

He washed his face and changed quickly, deciding to shower once he got Peter situated, before walking out of the room towards the master bedroom.

He opened the door and saw Peter trying to stand, nearly swaying while doing so.

"Whoa there, sit down before you fall down."

"Don't tell me what to do." Peter tried to sound menacing, but he was slurring his words. The man tried to stand up straighter and take a step away from the bed, but Neal walked towards him quickly as he lost his balance.

"I don't think so buddy. Let's go." Neal lifted Peter under his arms and carried Peter back into the bed. Peter was too tired, but not too tired to try and fight. He soon found himself on the floor, covered with the sheets tangled in his legs.

Then he started to cry.

He was tired, but he didn't want to sleep. He needed to do a good job and who cares if he lost a couple of nights sleep, right?

He stood up on unsteady legs and Neal watched as he walked out of the room, and go slowly down the stairs while holding onto the railing.

His laptop and files were displayed on the dining room table and despite his weariness that was weighing him down, Peter grinned.

Neal walked down the stairs and saw Peter sitting at the dining room table and he groaned.

Then he realized that Elizabeth set this whole thing up. She knew that Peter would be his regular workaholic self and still work when he could barely sit up. She knew that Neal was going to have to give Peter the sleeping pill.

She was _good_.

Peter turned to look at the other man.

"Hi," was the only word he said before turning back to the laptop. His bloodshot eyes made Peter look more horrible than he already did. Neal turned around and Peter was too oblivious to notice that Neal was walking towards the bathroom, in search of the sleeping pill. He found a few pills in a bottle and poured one out, before turning around and walking outside the room towards the kitchen. He filled up a glass of water from the tap, quietly mashing the pill and putting it in the water, letting it dissolve so Peter wouldn't take notice.

He walked out and set the glass of water in front of the older man and he kneeled down next to him.

"Drink it Peter, you must be thirsty." Neal said softly and he watched as Peter slowly stopped typing, and picked up the glass.

Peter drank the water greedily, finishing the entire glass before returning to his work.

But his eyes started drooping and he almost slid out of his chair sideways if Neal wasn't there.

"You drugged me?" His voice slurred even more prominently and he looked like he was about to cry again.

Neal lifted Peter up his arms and picked him up, "You need your sleep. If this is the only way, then so be it. I'm sorry Peter."

Peter didn't here the last part, as he was already snoring on the conman's shoulder.

0

When Elizabeth came home, she found Neal sitting on the couch watching the television on low with Peter in his arms, asleep. From the way Peter was deeply asleep, and how the laptop was on, she knew Neal needed to use that sleeping pill. She knew it was inevitable.

She knelt down in front of them and sent a questioning glance towards the younger man.

He nodded, knowing what she was asking and she sighed.

"He'll probably be waking up soon. We can feed him some food and try another sleeping pill. It'll probably knock him out again until tomorrow morning." He said, shifting Peter in his arms as his left arm was falling asleep.

"I'll make him some soup, he can eat on the couch – just this one though." Elizabeth said softly, before getting up and walking towards the kitchen. Neal heard pots and pans banging before looking down at the sleeping man in his arms. He felt protective of Peter, even though it was usually the other way around. This weekend, they switched places because he just feels the need to protect the man that spent so much time protecting him.

He was curious as to why Peter was so dead set on getting the information on their latest case, but he was concerned about Peter's lack of sleep. He could hear Elizabeth humming softly in the kitchen before the man in his arms were waking up.

"I can't believe you drugged me."

"Peter," he lifted his hand to let it gently go through Peter's hair, "you need sleep."

Peter just yawned, leaning into Neal's chest with his eyes still opened.

"I'm hungry," Peter grumbled and Neal laughed, loud shifting Peter so he was sitting up. Peter leaned into Neal's shoulder while Elizabeth came in, with a bowl of soup. She handed it to Neal, and she glared at Peter before he could protest.

"You're weak sweetie. Let Neal help." He groaned, lifting his head up while Neal lifted a spoonful of soup towards his mouth. He swallowed embarrassed before letting Neal continue to help him eat the soup. Once a majority of the soup was gone, Elizabeth left the room and came back with another glass of water. He drank it all and soon found himself sleepy again. He mumbled, leaning on Neal's shoulder and felt himself drifting off to sleep. He grumbled sleepily as Neal got up and then lifted him under his back and legs. Peter dropped his head on Neal's chest as the younger man carried him up the stairs and into the master bedroom. He placed Peter on the bed and lifted the covers over the man. He looked down at Peter for a few seconds, but Peter made no move to wake up. He turned around, turning off the light before joining Elizabeth downstairs.

0

The rest of the weekend went by smoothly. Peter managed to sleep without a sleeping pill and Elizabeth locked up his work supplies. He was too tired to actually try and look for them, so he gave up, making Elizabeth and Neal smile to themselves. Neal had to sometimes stay in the room waiting for Peter to fall asleep during the day, but by Monday morning Peter was able to stay awake and managed to persuade Neal and Elizabeth into letting him go back to work.

Elizabeth looked at Peter, wanting him to try and rest more but he won the battle and soon Neal was driving them to the office. Peter fell asleep halfway there and Neal parked the car on a side street, before calling the office.

"Caffrey, what happened?" Hughes asked on the other side of the phone

"Peter fell asleep on the way to the office. I still think he needs sleep. I should probably turn around and take him back home."

"That sounds like a good idea. Just come in tomorrow. He'll be better by then." Hughes said goodbye before hanging up and Neal had a better idea.

They'd go to June's.

He turned the car around, and made it to June's 15 minutes later.

Neal parked the car and it jostled Peter awake.

"What are we doing here Neal?" He asked drowsily.

Neal looked at the man, "You're getting more sleep and June's was closer. I don't think falling asleep 15 minutes into the ride was in your plans, but it still means you need sleep." He turned off the car, got out and went and opened the passenger door. He unbuckled Peter's seatbelt, lifting Peter up. Peter's legs crumbled and he looked at Neal sadly, "I guess I'm still tired."

Neal looked at Peter sadly, lifting him up and carrying him up the stairs into the house. Peter lost some weight over a period of time and wasn't heavy enough that Neal couldn't carry him up the stairs. By the time Neal opened the door to the guest room, Peter was asleep.

"Yeah, you're still tired alright."


End file.
